Digital exposure apparatus for a color enlarging photoprinter

ABSTRACT

This invention is one digital exposure device, which contains: body case; printing lamp, filters, light tunnel, exposure assembly and shutter set in the body case; its character is: the exposure assembly contains: Polarizing Beamsplitters, condensing lens, Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, digital enlarging lens and light source. The panel is at the same position of the negative on traditional minilab. Above the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel there is Polarizing Beamsplitters. The condensing lens sticks to the outside of the prism and the light source close to the outside of the condensing lens. The digital enlarging lens lies above the prism; the OA of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, Polarizing Beamsplitters and digital enlarging lens coincides with that of the printing lamp, filters and light tunnel. The whole structure of this device is simplified and the light intensity of existing digital exposure device is increased. The technology is advanced so that the digital exposure device will be more productive.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention is one digital exposure device used on minilab.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

The traditional production procedure of the minilab is: Put the color negative film into the carrier, the light provided by the light source and the mirror tunnel passes through the color negative film, the enlarging objective and forms images on the printing paper. Because the color ingredient on the film is different and the light is corrected by color filters, the color former on the printing paper receives different light exposure and becomes latent images. The auto-printing equipment will print printing papers to certain amount, which are sent into the processing equipment to react fully with the developer in developer liquid tank, the fixative in fixative liquid tank and the stabilizing bath in the stabilization tank, to finish such procedures as developing, fixing and stabilizing. The printing papers are dried and cut automatically to get vivid color photos.

The work process of the traditional minilab has existed for a long time. In China, thousands of such equipments are distributed all over the country. In these years, with the development of digital technology, the traditional film photography is being replaced gradually by the digital photography technology for its shortcomings such as high cost, unable to see the quality of the photos immediately and so on.

The existing digital exposure device is shown as FIG. 1. The digital exposure device replaces the negative carrier on the minilab, being fixed on the minilab in the same way as the carrier. The minilab can be used to print traditional films and digital images. The digital images can be corrected or edited using computer, displayed by Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel and projected onto the printing paper to exposure and get the digital color photos. The inherent minilab has more functions.

This digital exposure device concludes such components as: printing lamp 11, filters 12, light tunnel 13, exposure component 14, shutter 15; the exposure component 14 includes: Polarizing Beamsplitters 141, 2^(nd) enlarging lens 142, Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel 143, enlarging lens 144, light source 145, 1^(st) reflective mirror 146, 2^(nd) reflective mirror 147, 3^(rd) reflective mirror 148, 2^(nd) shutter 149. The light source 145 contains the elements as: halogen lamp 1451, Heat Absorbing Glass 1452, Falling Color Temperature Glass 1453, light tunnel 1454, 2^(nd) filter 1455, condensing lens 1456. The printing lamp irradiates light to pass through the Heat Absorbing Glass and Falling Color Temperature Glass into light tunnel to uniform the light; the red, green and blue colourful lights are produced while passing through the 2^(nd) filter; the condensing lens magnifies the facula, uniformly irradiates the light onto the Polarizing Beamsplitters; which reflects the three-color images engendered by the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, the enlarging lens magnifies the images; the 1^(st), 2^(nd) and 3^(rd) reflective mirrors reflect the light and to images at the negative position, which are in the size of the traditional 135 color film. The enlarging lens magnifies the image. At last, the color photos are formed on the printing paper 16. Since the digital exposure device replaces the initial negative carrier, the position of the digital image displayed by the chip will be at the place where the color negative is, meaning that it can be treated as negative. For this reason, the imaging sources can be expanded to the digital images of disks, digital cameras, not only the colorful negative as before. Combined with other functions of the minilab, this device can be used both in film printing and digital printing. It is devised to acclimate with the today's trend in photography and promotes the development of photography. But in this device, there are too many reflective mirrors, the OA of the 2^(nd) enlarging lens and the enlarging lens can not be adjusted easily, especially doing installation at the printing house. Also because there are too many lenses composed by the 2^(nd) enlarging lens and the enlarging lens, the light intensity radiated by the printing lamp loses a lot due to the absorption of the glasses, the exposure time is prolonged and the velocity is affected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is devised to overcome the shortcomings of existing digital exposure device. It increases the light intensity of existing digital exposure device, advances the technology and makes the digital exposure device more productive.

This invention is realized in the way as below: digital exposure device, which includes: printing lamp, filters, light tunnel, exposure components, shutter. The character is: the exposure components include Polarizing Beamsplitters, condensing lens, Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, digital enlarging lens and light source. The chips lie at the negative's position on traditional minilab, above which there is Polarizing Beamsplitters. The condensing lens sticks to the outside of the prism, the light source close to the outside of the condensing lens. The digital enlarging lens is above the prism; the OA of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, Polarizing Beamsplitters and digital enlarging lens coincides with that of the printing lamp, filters and light tunnel.

Among the above-mentioned equipments of the digital exposure device, the light source is composed by LED, positioned at the outside of the condensing lens.

Among the above-mentioned equipments of the digital exposure device, the light source is composed by the 2^(nd) shutter, condensing lens, Falling Color Temperature Glass, tricolor color wheel, 2^(nd) light tunnel, ultraviolet intercepting glass, Heat Absorbing Glass and halogen lamp, which are arrayed in order outside of the condensing lens. The OA is perpendicular to the OA composed by Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, Polarizing Beamsplitters, digital enlarging lens, printing lamp, filters and light tunnel.

Among the above-mentioned equipments of the digital exposure device, the volume of the 2^(nd) light tunnel is smaller than that of the light tunnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The specific structure of this invention is given from the examples and the figs listed below:

FIG. 1 is the structural representation of the existing digital exposure device.

FIG. 2 is the structural representation of the 1^(st) application example of this digital exposure device.

FIG. 3 is the structural representation of the 2^(nd) application example of this digital exposure device.

EOMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 2. Digital exposure device, which contains: printing lamp 21, filters 22, light tunnel 23, exposure component 24, shutter 25; the exposure component 24 includes: Polarizing Beamsplitters 241, condensing lens 242, Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel 243, digital enlarging lens 244 and light source 245. The Panel is at the same position of the negative on traditional minilab, it is connected to computer 28 with the serial-port of control panel 27. Above the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel 243 there is Polarizing Beamsplitters 241, The condensing lens 242 sticks to the outside of the prism 241, the light source 245 close to the outside of the condensing lens 242. The light source 245, which can radiate red, green and blue color lights, is composed with three types of LED, which are red, green and blue LED. The light source positions at the outside of the condensing lens 242. The digital enlarging lens 244 is above the Polarizing Beamsplitters 241; the OA of Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel 243, Polarizing Beamsplitters 241, digital enlarging lens 244 coincides with that of printing lamp 21, filters 22 and light tunnel 23.

All of the components are fixed by the corresponding fixed seats inside of the body case.

How it works: When the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel displays one red color image, the LED light source lightens the red LED at the same time; once the exposure ends, the LED red LED blacks out. So are the situations of blue, green color images. Then, the functions of halogen lamp, tricolor wheel and shutter in the digital exposure device can be replaced.

The advantages of the LED light source are that it can avoid the mechanical misoperations of the shutter, tricolor wheel. The quality of the images will be stable and reliable.

Please refer to FIG. 3, this invention contains such components as: printing lamp 31, filters 32, light tunnel 33, exposure assembly 34, shutter 35; the exposure assembly 34 contains: Polarizing Beamsplitters 341, condensing lens 342, Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel 343, digital enlarging lens 344 and light source 345. The Panel is at the same position of the negative on traditional minilab, it is connected to computer 38 with serial-port of control panel 37. Above the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel 343 is the Polarizing Beamsplitters 341, outside of the Polarizing Beamsplitters 341 is the condensing lens 342, and the light source 345 is set outside of the condensing lens 342. The light source 345 is composed of the second shutter 3154, condensing lens 3452, Falling Color Temperature Glass 3453, tricolor wheel 3454, the second light tunne 3455, ultraviolet intercepting glass 3456, Heat Absorbing Glass 3457, and the halogen lamp 3458. Its components are arrayed in order outside of the condensing lens. The OA is perpendicular to the OA composed by Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, Polarizing Beamsplitters, digital enlarging lens, printing lamp, filters and light tunnel.

All the components are fixed in the machine by the corresponding fixed bearing.

The working principle of the instrument is: by adding the Falling Color Temperature Glass into the independent light source combination, the color temperature of the light is more applicable for the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel to image on the printing paper 39. The light tunnel's size is smaller than that of its counterpart on the minilab, which will reduce the area of the color filter greatly, so the on-off inertia is also reduced and make the light source more homogeneous as well. Using the imaging principle of the additive color method, the color filter of the three primary colors will make the picture more vivid. Because the size of the light tunnel is small, the transmitted facula is also small. With the condensing lens added to the system, the required exposure area of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel is enlarged, and this will make full use of the light energy The second shutter is used to control the exposure time and to prevent the parasitic light.

The light radiated by the 2^(nd) light source becomes polarized light after the 45° oblique reflection through the polarized spectroscope and then reaches the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel. The microcrystals of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, which control the image, become well-regulated crystals parallel to the chip plane on account of the effect of voltage. The S polarized light enters vertically into the plane of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel and will be reflected vertically out of the crystals which parallel with the plane of the chip and become the P polarized light. The P polarized light enters into the polarized spectroscope and is analyzed by the polarized spectroscope, thus making the light reflected by the microcrystal transits through the prism. At the same time, the random light will be ended because the directions are different. Then one image of high articulation and high contrast will be obtained. With the objective lens, the image engendered by the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel will expose on the printing paper. Since the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel is a monocolor instrument, with this invention, one digital photo will be obtained after exposure three times, to the red, green, and blue color respectively.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

Since the structure mentioned above is adopted, the 1^(st), 2^(nd), 3^(rd) reflecting mirror and the 2^(nd) objective lens of the existing exposure equipment are wiped off. The whole structure is simplified. But most important, it will increase the efficient light intensity and enhance the assembly technique. 

1. Digital exposure device, which contains: printing lamp, filters, light tunnel, exposure assembly and shutter. Its character is that the exposure assembly contains Polarizing Beamsplitters, condensing lens, Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, digital enlarging lens and light source. The Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel is at the position where the negative is on traditional minilab. The Polarizing Beamsplitters is above the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel. The condensing lens sticks to the outside of the prism and the light source close to the outside of the condensing lens. The digital enlarging lens lies above the prism; the OA of the Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, Polarizing Beamsplitters and digital enlarging lens coincides with that of the printing lamp, filters and light tunnel.
 2. The digital exposure device illustrated in clause 1, its character is: the light source is the light source composed by LED, which is on the outside of the condensing lens.
 3. The digital exposure device illustrated in clause 1, its character is: the light source is composed by the 2^(nd) shutter, condensing lens, Falling Color Temperature Glass, tricolor wheel, 2^(nd) light tunnel, ultraviolet intercepting glass, Heat Absorbing Glass and halogen lamp, which are arrayed in order outside of the condensing lens. The OA is perpendicular to the OA composed by Liquid Crystal on Silicon Panel, Polarizing Beamsplitters, digital enlarging lens, printing lamp, filters and light tunnel.
 4. The digital exposure device illustrated in clause 3, its character is: the volume of the 2^(nd) light tunnel is smaller than that of the light tunnel. 